Introduction to Unity and its Beliefs
Unity is a worldwide Christian organization
with a positive approach to life, seeking to accept the good in people and in
all life. God is seen as having many attributes, but the most important is LOVE.
Unity stresses that God is not a physical man in the sky, for that limits our
understanding. God is Spirit, everywhere present, the one and only Spirit
behind, in, and through all things, visible and invisible.Unity denies the existence of any power or
presence opposed to God. It sees that there are evil appearances and suffering
in the world, but attributes these to man's ignorance and erroneous use of God's
law of life.
Unity proclaims the divinity of Jesus, but goes
further and assures that you, too, are a child of God and therefore divine in
nature. Jesus expressed his divine potential and sought to show us how to
express ours as well. Salvation is then the expanding of one's understanding of
his/her innate divinity and perfectibility through living the life demonstrated
by Jesus.
Unity explains that the mind is our connecting link
with God, or Divine Mind, and shows how the action of our mind affects our body
and circumstances. Much emphasis is placed on the effective power that thoughts,
feelings, words, and acts have upon our life.Prayer is not seen as a technique for changing God,
but for expanding and transforming our minds, and thus changing us.
Unity seeks to relate religion to daily needs,
affirming that for every need there is God's perfect answer. Its main textbook
is The Bible and it relates its lessons to your life and everyday experiences.Unity does break from tradition in that it has
no creedal requirements, dogma, rituals, or ecclesiastical garb. Unity chooses
to believe that there is good in every religion. Different religions are like
spokes on a wheel with the hub being God. They may be set apart by variances of
beliefs and approaches, but they are all seeking the one God as the hub of all
life. Consequently, Unity does not deny anyone the right to have his/her own
beliefs.
Unity sees worship as serving God by uplifting
and glorifying God's spirit in man, in positive, joyous ways. It seeks not to
emphasize one's past errors, but instead gives attention to the good that
exists in every person and what can be done with the now to transform one's self
and life.Unity's main concern
is not so much with a future life but
with teaching people how to live fully in the present, seeing the good in all
things. Unity also believes in eternal life and views the present moment as part
of eternal life.Unity does not
impose any financial burdens or
pressure on its adherents. It believes the desire for giving should be initiated
from within the giver to reap the joys of sharing.
Unity is inter-denominational and welcomes in
dignity and love, people of all races, colors, religions, social backgrounds,
and economic levels.Millions of people have been introduced to
Unity through its periodicals Daily Word, Unity Magazine and Wee Wisdom,
published at Unity World Headquarters in Lee's Summit, Mo. Millions of others
are familiar with Unity through its prayer ministry, known as Silent Unity which
has maintained a round-the-clock vigil of prayer for more than 80 years via a
toll free number (800-669-7729), and have received prayer help.Because of similarity in names, Unity has on
occasion been confused with other organizations. However, there is no connection
between Unity and Unitarianism or the Unification Church.
In summary, Unity emphasizes the divine potential
within every child of God and teaches that through a practical understanding and
application of what Jesus taught, every person can realize and express his/her
divine potential for a happier, fuller and more successful life.
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